Combination switch and distributing-panel



0. T. SWEET. COMBINATION SWITCH AND DISTRIBUTING PANEL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I7. 1919.

Patented Sept. 27, 1921.

IIIIIIII OLIVER '1. SWEET, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COMBINATION SWITCH AND DISTRIBUTINQ-PANEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 27, 1921.

Application filed February 17, 1919. Serial No. 277,421.

T 0 all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER SWEET, a citizen of the United States, residing at St.

Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new: and useful Improvement in Combination Switches and Distributing-Panels, of which the following is a-full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates generally to devices or apparatus for the control and distr bution of electric current and more particularly to a unit construction, each unit comprising a fuse plug block or receptacle, provided with wire receiving channels which aline with one another when the blocks are assembled, thereby forming wire raceways for the various lines leading to and from the distributing panel.

With the foregoing and other objects 111' view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-'-.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of thefuse lug blocks or units.) Fig. 2 1s a vertical section taken approximately on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1. a Fig. 3 is a plan view of the body of the fuse plug block with the front plate or cover thereof removed. V

Fig. 4; is a diagrammatic view illustrating the assembled arrangement of a switch and distributing panel of my improved construction.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a practical embodiment of my invention, 10 designates the body or base of the switch, the same being preferably rectangular in shape and composed of porcelain or analogous insulating material.

17 -17 are the switch blades, and as the switch handle.

p The fuse plug blocks are of unit construction and each unit comprises an elongated rectangular body 30 of porcelain, slate Voranalogous insulating material. Formed in the top and central portion of this block is a circular recess 31 in which is positioned a threaded socket 32 of metal. Formed in the top of the block 30 between the recess 31 and stain conditions.

each end of said block is a pair of transversely dlsposed wire channels 33 and extending from theinner one of each of these channels to the outer end of the block and intersectlng the outer one of each pair of channels is a longitudinally disposed wire receiving channel 33'.

Obviously, when a number of the blocks are placed side by side, the corresponding transverse channels therein will aline with each other to form elongated wire receiving raccways, or if a part of-the blocks are placed'end to end, an adjacent pair of the channels 33 will unite to form a longitudinally disposed raceway between the adjacent pairs of transverse raceways formed by the channels 33. (See Fig. 4.)

Seated in the bottom of the threaded socket 32 is one end of a contact plate 34:, the outer end thereof being positioned in the bottom of the adjacent inner one of the grooves 33 and carried by this end of said contact plate is a screw or bindingpost 35 which is adapted to serve as a point of connection for a current carrying wire which may be brought into the block through either end of the corresponding channel 33, throughtheadjacent transverse channel, or through the adj acent longitudinally disposed channel 33*.

Formed through the block near one end of the channel in which the outer end of contact plate 34 is positioned is an aperture 36 which permits the current carrying wire that is connected to the screw or binding post 35 to pass through the base of the block, which arrangementis desirable under cer- Formed in the underside of the block 30 is a recess 37, one end of which terminates near the longitudinal center of said block,

and leading from this end of said'rece'ss through the block and connecting with re cess31 is an aperture 38. Leading upwardly from the opposite endof this recess is an aperture 39,. the upper end of which communicates with the "inner end of the corresponding one of. the longitudinal channels 33. Positioned within recess 37 and aperture 39 is contact plate'40 the same being secured in position-by means of -a screw 41, the latter passing through aperture 38 and its head 42 occupying a position in the lower portion of threaded socket 32. This screw serves to retain, the threaded socket, contact plate 34, and contact plate 40 in pro er'position upon the block 30 and the hea of said screw is insulated from contact member 34 by one or more washers or disks 43 of suitable insulating material. A nut 44 on the threaded lower end of the screw or bolt bears directly against the inner end of com tact member 40.

The upper outer end of contact member occupies a position at the junction of the outer one of the corresponding pair of channels 33 and the channel 33, and secured to this end of this contact member is a screw or binding post 45, the same serving as a point of connection for a current carrying wire or conductor, the latter entering the block through any one of the adjacent channels or through an "aperture 46 which is formed through the block and is located near one end of the outer one of thechannels 33.

Removably positioned on top of the block thus formed is a cover plate 47 of porcelain, slate or analogous insulating material, the same being held in position by means of screws 48 or like fastening devices, and formed in the center of this cover plate is an aperture 49 which coincides with recess 31, thus permitting the threaded end of a fuse plug or the like to be screw-seated in the socket 32.

When a fuse plug is seated in socket 32, the current carried by the conductor secured to contact plate 34 will pass through said plate to socket 32, from thence through the threaded shell and fuse of said plug to the centrally located hontact on the lower end of the plug, from thence through screw or bolt 41 to contact plate 40, and from thence to the conductor or line wire connected thereto.

Obviously, when thefuse plug is removed from socket-32, the circuit through the block will be open. By providing each block with a plurality of wire channels, the Wires or current carrying conductors can be led to and from the blocks from practically any direction and where the blocks are assembled side by side and end to end, to form .a dis-.

tributing panel, the various channels pro 'vide raceways which accommodate the conductors and which permit practically any arrangement or combination of connections.

Where the blocks 30 are positioned immediately adjacent to the switch block, the conductors are led from the ends or sides of said blocks directly through the apertures 12 into the recesses 11 of said switch block.

The cover of insulation for each fuse plug block wholly incloses and covers all of the contact members positioned within said block and as a result, when a number of the blocks are'assembled to form a channel as illustrated in Fig. 8, the entire front thereof is dead, consequently affording protection to persons .inserting or removing fuse plugs.

I claim:

A fuse plug block composed of insulating material and rovided with a recess, a fuse plug socket wlthin said recess, contact members arranged in said block adjacent to said fuse plug socket and electrically connected thereto, andthere being a plurality of channels formed in said block and leading in different directions from e'ach contact member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 15th da of February, 1919.

O IVER T. SWEET 

